Shao Qi looked back at him, a playful expression on his face. With a cold smirk, he said, "Fine, count yourself lucky. We won’t kill you."

"But I can't go back alone. You can take me to the Jiangnan base. I can do anything! Really! I've reached the novice warrior level. I can work for you, and I don't even need a salary."

"No way, we can't handle someone as scheming as you. Here's a car; whether you can make it back depends on your skills." Shao Qi watched him get into a car, which then drove away, heading west.

"You're not mad that I made a decision on my own, are you?" Shao Qi asked, placing one hand on Zhou You's shoulder.

"What’s the big deal? As long as he hasn’t killed anyone, it's fine to let him go. Do you think I'm afraid of him seeking revenge?"

"Weeds that aren't rooted out will grow back in the spring wind. Surely there are still members of the High Peak Exploration Team out there. Sending Song Jin'an back might attract trouble, but it doesn’t matter. Li Yunxi needs a notable enemy, especially since he’s young and talented. He'll serve as a perfect whetstone."

Zhou You looked at him in surprise. "I thought you spared him out of pity."

"Then you’re mistaken. That kid used another man as a human shield. You think I didn’t see? With that kind of mindset, he's no good man. I just couldn’t be bothered to deal with him."

Zhou You sighed. Humans are indeed unpredictable.

Chapter 084: Going into Business?

A spectacular scene appeared on the road outside Jiangnan base: a fighter jet flying low, towing a series of armored vehicles, slowly moving on snowy ground.

"Whose convoy is that? Who dares travel the roads at this time?"

"Isn’t that our base's jet? Isn't that the one that went on a mission two days ago? The one everyone said was outdated?"

"But wasn't Major Ding supposed to be back by now? What’s happening?"

Zhou You was about to lose his mind. Bringing back thirty armored vehicles with just him and Shao Qi was practically a tall tale. They couldn't abandon them, especially since some belonged to the Dawn Squad, meant for Li Yunxi. The duo spent half a day figuring out how to drive them back.

In the end, they used this most rudimentary method, connecting the vehicles end-to-end, like a train.

Of course, it wasn't that simple. Not only did Shao Qi tow them with the jet, Zhou You had to exert his internal energy onto the towing ropes between vehicles to ensure even force distribution. It took them a whole day and night to get back to the base.

Zhou You was almost out of energy. Seeing the base ahead, he no longer wanted to move and shouted to Shao Qi, "I can't go on. Let's stop and get some help."

Shao Qi was equally worn out. He had never done such a crazy thing in his life—using a fighter jet as a tow truck. Thankfully, it wasn’t too far, or the jet's energy wouldn't have lasted.

He landed slowly, kicked open the door, and yelled towards the city walls, "Defense team, come help!"

"Isn’t that Mr. Shao’s voice? And... isn’t that Mr. Zhou?" Captain Wang recognized them and hurried over, smiling, "Where did you two come from? And these vehicles are...?" He had heard the two went out in a jet for a date but didn't expect them to bring back spoils of war.

"Notify the military to collect the jet and send people to help us drive these vehicles in. Then head to Rejian Villa to summon folks to collect the goods."

Captain Wang took charge immediately. With just a few phone calls, reinforcements arrived. Without any hesitation, they unfastened the ropes from the armored vehicle and drove it back to the base.

As for the fighter jet, it belonged to the military district. Merely informing about it was already beyond the call of duty.

Upon hearing the news, Li Yunxi rushed over. She instantly recognized the armored vehicles of their squad, each marked with a logo she had designed. She started crying before even approaching them.

Miao Miao was surprised that these two men had ventured out on such a serious mission alone. Angrily, she asked, "Why didn’t you bring us along for the revenge?"

Shao Qi, noticing Zhou You's pale face, supported him, then answered Miao Miao, "Why would we bring along burdens like you?"

"You..."

"Hurry up, complete the necessary procedures here. Ensure no one takes our vehicle. Organize the items inside the vehicle, and hand over anything belonging to the Morning Dawn Squad to Li Yunxi."

"Thank you, thank you..." Li Yunxi kept repeating her thanks, tears streaming down her face, but her lips curved into a smile.

Zhou You consoled her, "The group responsible for your brother’s death is from the Yangcheng Base's Peak Exploration Team. While hatred can drive us, it can also torment us. Living solely on hatred can be painful. Live well, as I believe your brother would have wanted."

Zhou You and Shao Qi headed back to the villa. The first thing they did was take a bath, followed by a peaceful sleep.

After a mere four hours of sleep, Zhou You awoke, still feeling weariness in his body. He sat up to meditate and practice his martial arts. Since his breakthrough in inner strength, he had plateaued, foreseeing a challenging path ahead. The chance of finding the second half of the Taiyi Sutra seemed almost nil.

In the morning, when Shao Qi knocked on the door, Zhou You felt rejuvenated. He opened the door to find Shao Qi, looking refreshed, holding breakfast.

"You must be hungry after so long, right? Try the breakfast I made."

Zhou You wasn't really hungry; they had only missed meals for two days. However, after exhausting their energy, they did need nutrition.

"Didn’t know you could cook," Zhou You teased.

As Shao Qi placed the food inside, Zhou You took it, chuckling, "You could’ve just called me down. Why go through the trouble of bringing it up?"

"As a token of gratitude, you have to finish all of it," Shao Qi playfully demanded.

That morning, Shao Qi woke up incredibly hungry but didn’t want to disturb Zhou You. So, he went downstairs to prepare something to eat. He wasn’t a complete stranger to cooking, though his skills were basic.